“Google” Edges Microsoft For World’s Most Famous Brand

It’s one of those things you know by rote, a name so familiar no one has to explain to you what it means.

It’s called “branding” and companies are always pursuing it to make sure you know who they are and what they do, so that when it comes time to make a business choice, they’ll be on the tip of your tongue.

And now the world has a new branding king. It’s search engine Google, which has passed Microsoft for the most famous “product” name in the world.

Market researcher Millward Brown annually puts out the list of famous company monikers and found that the Internet giant has become the most recognizable firm on the planet.

The rankings are based on profits, recognition and the intangible cachet that the brand brings when consumers hear it.

General Electric came in at number two. You have to scroll down to number 39 to find a Canadian performer on the list. Believe it or not, it’s the Royal Bank. 

It means Google beat out rivals like Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and McDonald’s for the number one position, a sign of the incredible strength of its image.

Last year, it ranked seventh.

But what’s more amazing about the performance of the Internet monster created in a California garage in 1998 is that it’s been all word of mouth. The company almost never does any advertising, yet everyone knows who they are and what they stand for.

Microsoft, which made a big splash with its new Windows Vista, is exactly the opposite. Bill Gates’ firm spent billions of dollars shilling its new product, yet its brand dropped to number three this year.

What’s the explanation?

Google has branched out into emerging markets like India and Brazil, building its name in places where it didn’t have such a high profile.

And it shows “a blend of good business leadership, responsible financial management and powerful marketing … [that] can be leveraged to create and grow corporate wealth,” is how Millward Brown’s Eileen Campbell explains it.

When you can get people to talk about you without spending a single dime, it’s obviously a conversation worth having.

And this year, for Google, that’s a victory that’s beyond price.

Other top brand winners:

Beer: Budweiser
Fast food: McDonald’s
Cars: Toyota
Coffee: Nescafe
Luxury Brand: Louis Vuitton
Personal Care: Gillette
Soft Drink: Coca Cola
Bottled Water: Evian

Overall Top 50 Brands

1. Google
2. GE (General Electric)
3. Microsoft
4. Coca Cola
5. China Mobile
6. Marlboro
7. Wal-Mart
8. Citibank
9. IBM
10. Toyota

11. McDonald’s
12. Nokia
13. Bank of America
14. BMW
15. HP
16. Apple
17. UPS
18. Wells Fargo
19. American Express
20. Louis Vuitton

21. Disney
22. Vodafone
23. NTT DoCoMo
24. Cisco
25. Intel
26. Home Depot
27. SAP
28. Gillette
29. Mercedes
30. Oracle

31. HSBC
32. Tesco
33. ICBC
34. Verizon Wireless
35. Starbucks
36. Honda
37. Dell
38. Bank of China
39. Royal Bank of Canada
40. Porsche

41. Deutsche Bank
42. Yahoo!
43. eBay
44. Samsung
45. Ford
46. L’Oréal
47. Banco Santander
48. Pepsi
49. Carrefour
50. Merrill Lynch

To see all the lists (.pdf format) click here.

Source: Millward Brown “Brandz” survey